5 Top Weekly NASDAQ Biotech Stocks: Eleven on Top for Second Week

Over the past trading week, the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (INDEXNASDAQ:NBI) decreased 3.31 percent, moving from 3,328.58 to 3,218.91 after market close on Friday (May 4).

Overall, companies on the index saw decent returns and make a well-rounded list of pharmaceutical and biotech stocks for investors.

Below, the Investing News Network profiles the five NASDAQ biotech stocks that increased the most last week. The top gainers are as follows:

• Eleven Biotherapeutics (NASDAQ:EBIO)
• Vivus (NASDAQ:VVUS)
• Trevena (NASDAQ:TRVN)
• Aralez Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ARLZ)
• Pluristem Therapeutics (NASDAQ:PSTI)

Here’s a closer look at those companies to see what may have moved their share prices last week.

Eleven Biotherapeutics

Eleven Biotherapeutics is first on our weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list. The company, which focuses on oncology, is developing cancerous tumor-targeting antibody fragments that are genetically fused to cytotoxic protein payloads called targeted protein therapeutics.

Although the company didn’t have any news last week, on April 12 it shared preclinical data ahead of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting. The first presentation was for VB6-845d, and the second was for engineering and characterization of anti-PSMA humabody proteins.

In response to the presentation, on April 18, HC Wainwright analyst Swayampakula Ramakanth issued a note to investors maintaining a “buy” rating for the company with a $2 price target, citing the AACR highlight in a note to investors. Last week, shares of Eleven increased 40 percent to reach $3.15.

Vivus

Vivus is a biopharmaceutical company with a focus on high unmet needs and a portfolio offering one drug candidate, Tacrolimus, for pulmonary arterial hypertension. The candidate is currently going into its Phase 3 clinical trial. Aside from that, the company has a subsidary called Willow Biopharma.

The company’s increase last week was very close to Eleven’s at 39.75 percent, hiking up the firm’s share price to $0.53.

Last Tuesday (May 1), Vivus reported gaining access to new capital while restructuring debt, including a $120-million senior secured note purchase agreement. On the same day, the company expanded a current acquisition with its product PANCREAZE in the US with Johnson and Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The company hopes this acquisition to be the first of others to come.

Trevena

Middle of our top weekly NASDAQ biotech stocks list is Trevena, with a 22.54-percent increase to a $2.24. This biopharmaceutical company is working on pain therapies. An investigational product, the oliceridine injection, has been granted US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) fast-track designation as a new option for patients who require intravenous opioid.

Over the past trading week, Trevena had numerous positive announcements, including its first-quarter financial release on Wednesday (May 3) and a license agreement with Jiangsu Nhwa Pharmaceuticals to develop oliceridine in China. The license agreement includes the potential for $10.5 million in milestone payments, including 10-percent royalties on sales.

Aralez Pharmaceuticals

Aralez Pharmaceuticals did not have any news in the past trading week, but its share price increased 10.53 percent to reach $1.45 during the period.

On March 13, the company released its 2017 financial results, nearly doubling its revenue for the year to $105.9 million over $54.3 million in 2016. Its first-quarter financial results are to be posted May 8, and excitement about this news could have pushed up Aralez’s share price last week.

The global pharmaceutical company has a wide portfolio of commercial products in pain management, cardiovascular therapies and others, such as dermatology and gastrointestinal products.

Pluristem Therapeutics

This clinical-stage biotherapy company develops cell therapy to treat inflammation, ischemia, radiation damage and more. Pluristem Therapeutics produces its cells in a one-of-a-kind 3D bioreactor that resembles the environment of the human body, and can generate the cells on a mass scale.

Last week, Pluristem said the FDA has cleared its investigational new drug application to treat victims exposed to acute radiation with its cell therapy candidate, PLX-R18. This positive news comes after the FDA cleared the company’s Phase 3 study in treating muscle injury following hip fracture surgery.

All of this positive news for investors led the company’s share price to increase 10.48 percent last week to $1.38, landing the company last on this week’s top NASDAQ biotech stocks list.

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Data for 5 Top NASDAQ Biotech Stocks articles is retrieved each Friday at 10:00 a.m. PST using the Globe and Mail’s market data filter. Only companies with a market capitalization greater than $50 million and lower than $500 million prior to the week’s gains are included. Companies within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors are considered.

Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle Lakusta, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.